Each day we deal with the visual world and much of it is made up of visual art. As we look at our cities, the buildings, the streets, cars, houses, buses, stores, everything that is part of a city is created by people. The visual world has been designed by people, at least a lot of it…only the trees, lakes, rivers, clouds, sky, earth are not created by people. People use the sources from nature as their inspiration for their creativity. There we are using our visual world for inspiration.
Awareness begins early in our childhood by what we see in our homes, neighborhoods, schools and where our families take us for walks, and trips. If we ask children, “What do you see?” – “What do you hear?” – “What do you smell?” and “How do you feel?” These are the senses the child or adult uses every day of their life.
A child grows up in an environment where all of these senses are used. The question is, “Do they like it?” and “How would they change it?” Of course this would be a challenge and they may have many ideas they want to reveal, to express, but they need to communicate their feelings, but how?
Here is where art can be used by teachers and families to help children express their ideas in a variety of visual ways through the arts both visual and performing arts. They can draw what they like in their neighborhoods and they can draw what they do not like. Better yet, ask the children or students to tell or show how they would change something in their neighborhood to make it better. What would they like to be better places to play, or a slide, maybe a new pond for sailing boats, or a public swimming pool and of course today skateboards performers need a safe place to skate.
Whatever the children, youth or adults decide they want to design to make something they think could be better. Begin with some sketches. Re-designing can be choosing just about anything they want to change and make more beautiful.
Young minds can show us what they see in their dreams by drawing it, making a design or even a model.
To begin to create their ideas they need materials, textures and decisions must be made as students are decision – makers of tomorrow.
For more information contact Jaylene Armstrong, retired art educator from Madison Wisconsin, at 661-255-3050.